Cylindrical ring valve for multicylinder pumps



M. W. HUBER Aug. '15, 195o CYLINDRICAL RING VALVE FOR MULTICYLINDERPUIIPS Filed Aug. 16, 1948 Fiel Madzkzww. Huber ttomegs l ,Ratent'eiugl5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CYLINDRICAL RING VALVE FOR MULTI-CYLINDER PUMPS Matthew W. Huber, Watertown, N. Y., assignor to The NewYork Air Brake Company, a corporation oI' New Jersey Application Aug-ust16, 1948, Serial No. 44,496

This invention relates to automatic discharge valves for multiplecylinder pumps. It will be described as used with a parallel plungertype of pump, because with this the invention affords a very compactarrangement, characterized by short discharge ports of excellent form. Asingle valve sleeve controls discharge flows from any desired number ofcylinders, functions as its own spring, and can be mounted in the headof the pump cylinders. The improved valve can, however, be used withalmost any multi-cylinder pump where automatic discharge valves arepracticable.

According to the invention. discharge ports from the vvarious cylindersall terminate on a cylindrical valve seat, and are arranged in acircumferential series in the order in which these cylinders discharge.The ports are controlled by an annular valve sleeve of flexible sheetmaterial, such as thin elastic bronze or steel. The

circumferential dimension of the valve differs from that of the seat byan amount suillcient to permit it to open the ports from half the totalnumber of cylinders (i. e. those cylinders which are discharging), whileclosing the ports to the remaining cylinders (i. e. those cylinders inwhich the suction stroke is in progress).

As a consequence the pressure of fluid discharging from half thecylinders reacts on the valve and causes it to close tightly the portsto those cylinders which are subject to suction. The elasticity of thevalve assures a tight seal. In effect the valve rolls on the seat,flexing as it rolls, so that wear is minimized and evenly distributedover valve and seat. While the material of the fvalve is properlydescribed as elastic, its operation does not 4depend on circumferentialelongation. and it does not elongate measurably in the performance lofits normal valve functions.

Two embodiments are possible. A very compact arrangement may be had bymaking the valve seat concave. In such case the circumference of thevalve is less than that of the seat and the valve is encircled by theseat. In some cases it is preferred to use a convex cylindrical seat.and an encircling valve of greater circumference. With such'anarrangement the valve is nexed less severely, and is always stressed intension. The machining operations on the seat are simpler. Theseadvantages often outweigh the advantage of compactness inherent in thefirst arrangement.

7 Claims. (Cl. 103-173) In the drawing: f

Fig. 1 is a viewI chiey in axial section of a swash-plate actuatedparallel-cylinder pump in which the discharge valve is surrounded by itsseat.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of .the discharge .valve used in the pumpof Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of Fig. l showing anarrangement in which the valve encircles its seat.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Refer to Figs. 1 to 3. y

The pump housing comprises two parts 6 and 1 whose form is clearly shownin the drawing. They are held together by machine screws Il which engagemating flanges. At their junction an internal rebate is formed toreceive and position flange 9 which surrounds cylinder block II.

-The ange is sealed by a ring I2 also received in the rebate. The blockI I seats marginally on a shoulder I3 formed in part I of the housing,and hence is positively positioned.

In the pump chosen for illustration nine parallel cylinder bores I4 areformed in circular series in block Il and each receives a plunger I5 ofknown form. Each plunger I5 has an axial bore leading from its inner endto cross bores I6 which are the inlet ports to the cylinder. Otherradial bores II are for lubricating purposes. Each plunger has at itsouter end a head which is flanged to serve as a seat for the plungerspring I8, and is socketed to receive a universally tiltable shoe I9.The shoes I9 coact with a creep Embodiments typical of the twoarrangements plate 2| seated on the sWash-plate 22. Swashplate 22 seatson a. thrust bearing not visible in the drawing and turns with shaft 23which is journaled in bearing bushing 24. Bushing 24 is mounted in blockII and the head of part I of the housing, in which its end is sealed byring 25. Shaft 23 carries at its outer end a driving disc 26.

An inlet connection 21 leads to the interior of housing part 6 and adischarge connection 28 leads from the space within part 'I beyond theend of block I'I.

The general arrangementY of swash-plate. plungers, plunger springs anddrive shaft closely resembles Huber Patent No. 2,381,056, August 7,1945. In that patent the cylinder bores extend clear through thecylinder block and individual discharge valves are used.

In the pump here illustrated the cylinder bores I4 are closed at theirends and each has a side discharge port 29 which terminates on a concave3 cylindrical seat 3|. Rebates 32 and 33 are formed at each lateralmargin of the seat and the annular space within the seat is in 'freecommunication with discharge connection 28.

A thin tubular or cylindrical valve 3l is mounted within the seat,overhangs the lateral margins Athereof and coacts therewith. The valvehas Assume shaft 23 turns 1n the direction of arrow A in Fig. l. Thatwould mean that the shaft 'turns clockwise in Fig. 2. At the instantthe' swash-plate is positioned as in Fig. 1, all plungers to the rightof the vertical center line of Fig. 2 would be at some phase of theirrespective displacement strokes. All to the left would be at some phaseof their suction strokes. In Fig. 2 the valve is shown forced to theleft by liquid discharging from the right hand ports, so that the valvecloses the left hand ports.

As a practical matter the valve'simply rolls around the seat beingdeformed or bowed as it goes. This gives precise timing, gradual openingand closing, with small losses from friction and eddying flow.

Modification, Figs. 4 and 5 In these figures the discharge ports leadoutward instead of inward and the valve encircles its seat.'

In these figures parts which correspond to parts in Figs. 1-3 are giventhe same reference numerals increased .by 100.

vThe operative characteristics are the same.

The parallel arrangement of the cylinders and their grouping in circularseries permits all the ports 28 (or |29) to be short and of uniformlength. 'Ihe same advantages could be had with the so-called stararrangement of cylinders. Cylinders arranged radially around a shaftwould require rather long ports which, however, could be uniform inlength. With most other cylinder arrangements, for example withcylinders in line, the ports to different cylinders would vary in lengthbut this is not a fatal defect. The inventive novelty resides in the'valve and its seat, and such a valve can be used with a plurality ofcylinders arranged in any of the known ways, provided the ports are soconnected that discharge progresses serially around the circular valveseat.

I claim:

l. The combination of a multiple-cylinder pump; means forming acylindrical valve-seat having a circumferentialv series of cylinderdischarge ports, each connected with a corresponding pump cylinder andarranged in said circumferential series in the order in which theirrespective cylinders discharge; and an annular valve sleeve of flexiblesheet material, associated with said seat, of sufficiently differentcircumferential dimension to permit said valve to flex into port-closingcontact with the seat throughout approximately half the circumferentialextent thereof, while spaced therefrom throughout the remainder of theseats circumference to open the ports in said remainder.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the seat is convex andthe valve sleeve encircles the seat.

3. The combination defined in claim l in which the seat is concave andencircles the Valve sleeve.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the ported valve seat isformed as an annular rib, and the valve is wider than said rib andoverhangs both edges thereof. f

5. The combination of a multiple-cylinder pump inwhich the cylindersdischarge serially; means forming a cylindrical valve seat having acircumferential series of cylinder discharge ports each connected with acorresponding cylinder, the ports in the series being arrangedcircumferentially of the seat in the order in which their cylindersdischarge; and a cylindrical annular valve of elastic sheet materialwhich is circular when free of distortion by hydraulic pressure and of acircumferential dimension so `differentiated from the circumferentialdimension of said seat that when said valve is displaced by liquiddischarged through certain of said ports it flexes into port-sealingcontact with the seat over the remainder of said ports.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 in which the seat is convex andthe annular valve encircles the seat.

7. The combination defined in claim 5 in which the seat is concave andencircles the annular valve.

MATTHEW W. HUBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

